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Earnestly Contend For The Faith - 1/11/26 - Pastor Charlie Branch · Meadows Baptist Church Podcast

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  Welcome to the podcast of Meadows
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  Baptist Church of Walnut Cove, North
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  Carolina. We're so glad you joined us
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  today. If you enjoy today's message, be
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  sure to subscribe, follow, and share
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  with your friends. Now, let's join
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  Pastor Charlie Branch with a word from
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  God.
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  >> If you have a Bible, let's turn to the
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  book of Jude if you would tonight. the
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  book of Jude and uh
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  Jude chapter 13.
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  Amen. Some of y'all picked up on that.
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  Amen. Amen.
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  Amen. Some of you didn't. Amen. I'm a
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  little worried about you. Amen. Amen.
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  Jude verse number one. Amen. Jude verse
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  number one.
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  and uh
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  just kind of feeling out the Lord what
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  he wants me to do tonight.
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  >> Tell you what, it takes a lot of
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  boldness to get up here.
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  >> That's right.
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  >> Amen. This young man's done what some of
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  you never do.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> Amen. You helped us tonight, brother. I
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  appreciate that. Amen.
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  Jude verse number one. Jude verse number
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  one. And uh I'll say this tonight. I
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  don't have to preach. Amen. I don't have
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  to preach. I just want to mind the Lord.
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  And if you got something on your heart,
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  Amen. I'll stop at any time. But we'll
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  look here tonight. Jude verse number
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  one.
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  Jude verse number one.
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  The Bible says in Jude verse number one,
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  Jude the servant of Jesus Christ,
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  brother of James, to them that are
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  sanctified by God the Father and
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  preserved in Jesus Christ and called
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  mercy unto you and peace and love be
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  multiplied.
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  And Jude says in verse number three, he
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  says, 'Beloved, when I gave all
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  diligence to write unto you of the
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  common salvation, it was needful for me
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  to write unto you and exhort you that
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  you should earnestly contend for the
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  faith which was once delivered for the
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  saints unto the saints. For there are
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  certain men crypt and unawares who were
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  before of old ordained to this
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  condemnation, ungodly men, turning the
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  grace of our God into lasciviousness and
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  denying the only Lord God and our Lord
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  Jesus Christ. I want to look at ver the
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  first three verses tonight with the Lord
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  helping us and consider uh this little
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  epistle tonight for just a moment in
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  time. I notice tonight in verse number
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  three, there's a statement that we're
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  all very familiar with. And what it is
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  is exactly what this brother just did
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  for us here tonight. He says there in
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  verse number three, he said, "It was
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  needful for me to write unto you and
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  exhort you that you should earnestly
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  contend for the faith." Earnestly
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  contend for the faith. Now, Father, I
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  ask humbly that you would help us for
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  just a moment of time tonight. And God,
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  I don't want to get ahead of you, Lord.
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  I' I'd never want to do that, but Lord,
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  I just want to be obedient to you
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  tonight. Lord, you know, I don't have to
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  preach, but God, I just want to be
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  obedient. And so, God, I pray you'll
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  help us as we look at these verses
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  tonight. Lord, if there's somebody here
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  lost, God, I pray you'd deal with their
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  heart, Lord, as you are right now and
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  pray they'd get out of their seat and
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  come to this altar and be saved tonight.
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  And Lord, I sure thank you. I sure love
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  you. I thank you for loving me and ask
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  it in Jesus name. God's children said,
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  >> "Amen." You notice here in this text
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  tonight, Jude is the last epistle uh in
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  the New Testament before we reach the
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  book of the revelation. Of course, the
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  book of the revelation being the I guess
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  you would call it the world looks as it
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  as looks at it as the apocalyptic book.
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  Amen. The book that defines the end
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  days. It's prophetic in nature. Deals
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  with all of the end time doctrine. And
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  so I guess it would be relevant that
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  here the book of Jude is just before
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  that. the book of Jude uh it really
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  enlists a a fire on the part of the
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  servant here Jude he is he is desiring
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  to help the church of God but the church
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  is in dire straits and Jude mentions
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  that in this epistle and uh I want you
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  to notice a few things here tonight and
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  I'll get out of the way we consider
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  first of all tonight when we look at
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  this text you've got to consider the
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  author of this text of course it is Jude
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  there in verse number one the Bible says
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  Jude the servant of Jesus Jesus Christ
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  and brother of James. Now, there's many
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  people that believe that uh this Jude is
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  the apostle Judas that's mentioned in
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  the book of Acts as well. He's mentioned
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  in the Gospels. But I do not believe
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  that it is Jude the Apostle in this text
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  because um if Jude was the apostle, he
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  would have named himself uh the apostle
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  in this text. But I'll say this Jude in
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  the text, this is Jude, the halfbrother
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  of Christ. Now Jude here is short for
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  Judas in the word of God. And you find
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  the first mention his name first time
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  appears. This man in Matthew chapter
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  number 13 in verse number 55. This is
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  what the Bible says. And turn there and
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  look at it with me tonight. And we miss
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  out a lot of times in preaching uh on
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  the family of Jesus. I think we forget
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  sometimes that Jesus did have brethren
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  and and he also had sisters as well uh
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  on this earth, half sisters and half
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  brothers. And you notice the description
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  in Matthew 13 and verse number 55. Is
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  not this the carpenter's son? It's Jesus
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  they're talking about. Of course, Joseph
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  is the carpenter. Is not his mother
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  called Mary and his brethren James and
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  Joseph and Simon and Judas. And that is
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  Jude. And then verse 56 mentions his
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  sisters. And so Jesus family here is
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  listed. And Jude is one of his family.
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  Now when you look at the New Testament,
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  there's another epistle that's written
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  by another brother of Jesus and that is
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  the book of James. James is another of
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  the half brothers there uh that was born
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  unto Mary and Joseph after Jesus was
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  born of her virginity. And uh he so he
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  first appears there with the family in
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  Matthew chapter number 13. And one of
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  the first things that stands out to us
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  about Jude is is that collectively with
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  the family of Christ, they did not
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  believe on Jesus. You notice that in the
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  book of John, chapter number 7, the
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  Gospel of John, chapter 7 and verse
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  number five, the Bible says, "Neither
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  did his brethren believe on him." And so
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  that pretty much in uh entails all of
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  the children of Mary and Joseph uh aside
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  from Jesus. And so they did not believe
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  on Christ. But boy, I'm thankful that
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  time made a change in them. Amen. And
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  because of the ministry of Christ and
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  the fact that he died and rose again,
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  you see, before the cross, all they saw
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  was a man. But I'll tell you this, when
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  he got up on the other side of the cross
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  and rose from the dead. Amen. They
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  looked at him and there was something
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  different about him. Amen. He didn't
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  look the same. Amen. He didn't talk the
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  same. He didn't carry himself the same.
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  Amen. He didn't have to walk from place
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  to p place, but he would just appear
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  whethersoever he wanted to. Amen. And
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  Jesus there, he wowed them. And so
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  because of that, they became believing.
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  You can read that in the book of 1
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  Corinthians in chapter number 15 says
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  that his brethren believed on him. And
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  so Jude here is one of his brethren. And
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  I I think about the author and his
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  belief. You see his belief as mentioned
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  in the first statement of this text.
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  Look what he says. He does not say Jude
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  the brother of Jesus. Look what he says.
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  Jude, the servant,
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  >> yes,
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  >> of Jesus.
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  >> Right.
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  >> If anybody ever had a right to lay claim
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  to being brother to Christ, it was these
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  people.
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  >> It was Mary and it was Joseph and it was
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  his brethren, Jude and James and Joseph
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  and then his sisters. If anybody ever
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  had a right to glory in anything that
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  had to do with Jesus, it was these men.
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  But I'll tell you this, on the other
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  side of Calvary, they had a different
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  mindset.
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  >> Let me say this to you. you get on the
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  right side of Calvary, your mindset will
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  change. Amen. And I notice in this text,
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  his belief, the author's belief, and
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  then you note the author's brethren
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  there. I already mentioned this, but
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  look what he says. You the servant of
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  Jesus Christ and brother of James. Now,
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  what he's doing here is he is
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  vindicating his authority because James
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  was the one that was uh really the
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  headship there in the church at
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  Jerusalem. History tells us that James
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  was looked to just about by everybody
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  that was in that church. And so he was
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  there and Jude here is using his brother
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  as his authority. And then I think about
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  this. You notice not only the author's
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  belief and his brethren, but you notice
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  his burden. And what do I mean by that?
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  Well, look what the Bible says in verse
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  one. Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ
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  and brother of James, what's him next
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  two words? To them. Jude's got a purpose
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  to write it. He's got a burden on his
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  heart. He's got something on his mind.
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  God is working in his life and he has
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  been given a burden here to write this
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  letter. Now, brother Jimmy, if you was
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  here during camp meeting, he mentioned
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  there how the apostle Paul said in
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  chapter number one that he had a desire
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  to go to Rome and he wanted to go. He
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  had that burden to go. But we know that
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  the apostle was never able to go. And
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  because he wasn't able to go, what
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  happened? He pinned the epistle to of
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  the Romans. the go the the epistle of
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  the Romans to that church and gives us
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  some of the greatest Bible doctrine that
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  is in that text and Jude here has a
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  burden but we'll notice in the text as
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  we go further along that his burden gets
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  sidetracked and God redirects him in the
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  text let me say this tonight when God
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  redirects your burden don't ever be
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  ashamed of that
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  >> when God changes your course and puts
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  you going in another direction you just
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  know don't feel out of place don't feel
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  like you were mistaken taken. But God
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  had you where he wanted you for a time.
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  Now he's going to lead you in another
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  way. Amen. And I notice not only the
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  author in our text, but notice the
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  audience in verse number one. The Bible
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  says to them that are sanctified by God
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  the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ
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  and called. And so Jude here is talking
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  about the church of God. Let me say this
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  tonight. The Bible is written to the
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  church. Somebody say amen. Now, we know
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  tonight that the Bible, it is
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  profitable, amen, for salvation. And
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  it's the word of God that says faith
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  cometh by hearing and hearing by the
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  word of God. Well, let me tell you this
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  tonight. This book is absolutely useless
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  to a lost man. Amen. Until he gets saved
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  and it's written to the church and James
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  audience is here, he know you note there
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  in the text that those who are
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  consecrated. Look what he says. To them
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  that are what? Sanctified by God the
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  Father. They've been set apart. You know
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  what? That's what's been that's what's
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  happened to us tonight. We've been set
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  apart by God Almighty. He has laid us
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  aside for his special purpose and
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  salvation. The Bible says not only here,
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  but in the book of Romans chapter number
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  12, he said, "I beseech you therefore,
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  brethren, by the mercies of God, that
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  you present your bodies a living
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  sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,
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  which is your reasonable service, as God
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  has set us apart. We ought to agree and
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  set ourselves apart. Somebody say amen.
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  And we're not to be conformed to this
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  world. And so we've been sanctified by
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  the father. But then there's not only
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  the consecration of the church, but then
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  there's the care of the church. Notice
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  that in verse number one, he said to
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  them that are sanctified by God the
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  father and preserved in Jesus Christ.
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  You know what that word preserved means?
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  Means guarded.
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  >> That's right.
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  >> It literally means to keep.
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  >> Yes. the church tonight. We're kept
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  >> by the power of God.
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  >> We're in Christ. Amen.
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  >> Christ is in us. And because of that, we
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  have been preserved. We are guarded in
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  the person of Jesus Christ. And I'll say
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  this, my Lord's been taking good care of
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  me. Amen. God has cared well for his
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  servants down through the years. And
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  hallelujah. Blessed be God. He'll care
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  for us all the way until the end. Amen.
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  I'll tell you this. I think I like this
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  part best. Notice, not only he's talking
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  to those that are consecrated and to
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  those that are cared for, but he's also
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  talking to those that possess character.
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  Not notice what he says in verse number
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  one. And preserved in Jesus Christ and
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  what? Called. Now, many times we think
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  about the call. We think about what
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  Jesus said that many be called. And uh
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  or many be called, but few are chosen.
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  And we think about those verses. But
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  I'll tell you what this means here
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  tonight. It simply means this. Romans
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  chapter 1 verse number 7 says this to
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  them who are called to be saints.
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  >> Called to be saints. I'm saying when God
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  saved you, when he sanctified you while
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  he's preserving you, who are you called
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  to be?
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  >> Amen. If you're set apart, you're his.
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  >> Amen. You're live like.
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  >> Amen. Notice what he says. And called.
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  Notice how that's the last thing that's
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  said. If it had to do with salvation, it
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  would be the first thing that was said,
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  >> but it's the last thing. And so, you
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  know what the calling is on our life?
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  That we be who God has called us to be.
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  Amen. Be ye holy, for I am holy. Amen.
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  And so, here their character is seen.
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  Romans chapter 1 and verse number 7
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  reveals this. 1 Corinthians chapter 1
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  and verse number two says the same thing
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  that we have been called to be saints.
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  Amen.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> I'll tell you this. You're not a saint
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  just because you're saved.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> I've met many people who I believe were
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  saved down through the years, but they
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  were far from a saint. Amen.
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  >> Y'all ain't liking this preaching
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  tonight. I'm going to have to get you
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  back up here and preach. Amen.
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  >> What I'm telling you tonight is this.
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  We've been called
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  >> to higher plane.
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  >> Amen. to be saints.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> John said it this way, "Beloved, now are
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  we the sons of God?"
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  >> Now, amen. Right now, in this moment, we
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  ought to live like it. Amen. I notice
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  not only the author, and I notice the
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  audience here, but notice the address in
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  verse number two. You see, Jude has a
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  burden for these people. And I'll say
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  more about the reason why here in just a
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  minute. But look what he says in verse
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  number two. He's he he announces who
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  he's talking to, but then he here deals
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  with what he wants for them. And look
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  what he says. Mercy unto you and peace
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  and love be multiplied. Now, if you know
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  what the rest of the book of Jude says,
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  you're going to know that's about the
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  nicest thing that Jude has to say
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  >> to them. Amen. And you know what he's
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  asking for? He's saying, "I want you to
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  have some grace. I want you to have some
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  mercy. I want you to have some love
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  because you're going to need it." Amen.
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  >> Let me say this to you, child of God,
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  tonight. The truth is, in every one of
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  our lives, we're going to have to have
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  some grace.
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  >> Amen. We're going to have to have some
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  mercy. We're going to have to have some
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  love to get by. Notice what he says. He
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  mentions that mercy. That's the
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  longsuffering of God. He said, "Mercy be
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  unto you." And then not only mercy, but
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  he mentions tranquility and peace. He is
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  saying there needs to be a stillness.
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  That mercy is a look toward God. And
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  that tranquility is a look within. But
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  then notice what he says in verse number
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  two again. And love be multiplied. And
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  so there is there's mercy and
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  tranquility. And then there is charity.
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  He's saying not only are we to have a
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  look to God for his mercy and a look
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  within for tranquility, but we're to
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  have a look around to be charitable to
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  those that are around us.
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  >> That's the proper function of the
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  church.
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  >> And notice what he says about that. He
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  said be multiplied.
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  Means to be growing.
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  >> Right?
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  >> These things ought to be swelling in our
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  life.
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  >> Amen. We ought to be seeking God,
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  >> right?
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  >> Amen. Somebody say, "Amen" tonight. We
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  ought to be seeking God for his mercy
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  and for his grace more than we ever
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  have. But we also ought to be seeking
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  peace in our heart.
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  >> You're right.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> The Bible says that peace, it's attained
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  through prayer.
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  >> Yeah.
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  >> That's what he said. Amen.
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  >> Come on.
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  >> So much I want to say, but my mind is
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  not keeping up with my mouth or my
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  mouth's not keeping up with my mind.
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  Amen.
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  But this charity, amen, we're to be
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  right in serving others. Love be
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  multiplied. And then notice what he says
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  in verse three. I'll give you the
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  message and we'll be done tonight. Amen.
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  You're going to like me after this
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  sermon. Amen. Look what he says.
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  Beloved,
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  >> you see, he's got a burden for them.
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  >> And I'll tell you this. Anytime you've
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  got a burden for somebody, it's always
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  better to start off with the fact that
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  you love them.
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  >> You're right. Amen.
• 17:05
  >> If you go in there with guns ablazing,
• 17:07
  Amen. and knives are swinging. Amen. You
• 17:09
  ain't going to do nothing but uh kill,
• 17:11
  steal, kill, and destroy. Amen. That's
• 17:12
  what you're going to do. But I'll tell
• 17:14
  you this. He begins with his burden. And
• 17:16
  he shows them his endearment. He says,
• 17:18
  "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to
• 17:21
  write unto you the common salvation," he
• 17:23
  says, "It was needful for me to write
• 17:25
  unto you and exhort you." And he gives
• 17:28
  him his appeal. He addresses them what
• 17:30
  he desires for the church to grow. But
• 17:32
  then his appeal in verse number three is
• 17:34
  is that they have a desperate need. And
• 17:38
  I'll tell you this, the church in the
• 17:39
  day in which we're living in has a
• 17:41
  desperate need.
• 17:42
  >> I say this, he has a desire. According
• 17:44
  to verse number three, you note his
• 17:46
  desire. Look what he said. I gave all
• 17:48
  diligence to write unto you of the
• 17:50
  common salvation. Jude had in his mind
• 17:52
  that he was going to make another gospel
• 17:54
  record. He was going to write another
• 17:57
  letter to them encouraging them in the
• 17:59
  faith to go on for God in the gospel.
• 18:02
  But that's not what God told him to
• 18:03
  write. You're
• 18:04
  >> right.
• 18:04
  >> Notice what the Bible says. He says,
• 18:07
  "When I gave diligence to write unto you
• 18:09
  the common salvation," he said, "It was
• 18:10
  my desire to give you to speak to you of
• 18:13
  the grace of God and the glory of Christ
• 18:15
  and of Calvary and all the blessings
• 18:17
  that come from that." Look what he says.
• 18:20
  It was needful for me to write unto you
• 18:22
  and exhort you that you should earnestly
• 18:25
  contend for the faith. Now, what is he
• 18:29
  seeing in here in this text? Well, his
• 18:31
  desire got overrode by the demand that
• 18:33
  was present. Right.
• 18:35
  >> This is what we're lacking in this day
• 18:36
  and time.
• 18:37
  >> Yeah.
• 18:38
  >> Preachers are preaching what they want
• 18:39
  to preach.
• 18:41
  >> Because they're not worried about the
• 18:42
  demand.
• 18:43
  >> You're right.
• 18:44
  >> They're not worried about the distress
• 18:45
  that we're in. They're not worried about
• 18:47
  the circumstances that are surrounding
• 18:50
  our lives.
• 18:51
  >> And when it comes down to the text
• 18:53
  tonight, here's what I realized Jude
• 18:55
  says. In spite of what I gave diligence
• 18:58
  to, in spite of what my desire was, God
• 19:01
  is more needful. He said, "The demand is
• 19:04
  greater than my desire." And he said, "I
• 19:06
  need to exhort you." What is he telling
• 19:08
  him? There is a command that I've got to
• 19:10
  give forth unto you that you should
• 19:12
  earnestly contend for the faith.
• 19:17
  What is that?
• 19:20
  That's the doctrine
• 19:22
  of what we believe.
• 19:24
  >> Right?
• 19:25
  >> And if there's ever been a day when this
• 19:26
  is relevant, it's relevant tonight.
• 19:28
  >> Amen.
• 19:30
  There is more isms and schisms and
• 19:32
  ideologies. You're
• 19:34
  >> right,
• 19:35
  >> in the church world today than there's
• 19:36
  ever been.
• 19:38
  >> People don't know anything about the
• 19:40
  gospel anymore.
• 19:41
  >> Right.
• 19:42
  >> And here's what I'm finding. The further
• 19:44
  I go along as a preacher, the appeal of
• 19:46
  Jude is the same appeal that I have.
• 19:48
  What we've lost is because people are
• 19:50
  not earnestly contending. Well, we'll
• 19:52
  just move a little bit on that and we'll
• 19:54
  move a little bit on that and WE'LL JUST
• 19:56
  MEET SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE. I had a
• 19:58
  teacher tell me this when I was in the
• 19:59
  eighth grade. This is what he told me.
• 20:01
  He was talking about creation. And we
• 20:03
  believe tonight, let me just go ahead
• 20:04
  and put this out there. We believe in
• 20:06
  six literal days of creation.
• 20:09
  >> That's right. Tonight, God made
• 20:11
  everything that is in six days. Amen.
• 20:13
  There wasn't no gap. Amen. THERE WASN'T
• 20:16
  NO DATE STRETCHED OUT. AMEN. GOD MADE IT
• 20:19
  all in six days. And on the seventh day,
• 20:21
  he did what?
• 20:23
  >> Rested. Amen. And that's the doctrine of
• 20:25
  creation. But here's what I had a social
• 20:27
  studies teacher tell me. And this is the
• 20:29
  sad thing about it. He went to church.
• 20:32
  Amen. This is the sad thing I found out
• 20:34
  about him. He said, "I believe science
• 20:36
  and the Bible can hold hands."
• 20:40
  >> And that's the world we live in today.
• 20:42
  It says, "Well, let me just take the
• 20:45
  best of what I've got and we'll take the
• 20:46
  best of what you got. We'll just put it
• 20:48
  all together and surely we'll have the
• 20:49
  best of both worlds."
• 20:51
  >> It don't work that way.
• 20:53
  Either the Bible's right
• 20:56
  >> or it's not.
• 20:57
  >> Amen. And when Jude says it was needful,
• 21:00
  what was it needful for? Well, there was
• 21:02
  men that was trying to undermine
• 21:04
  everything that they believed. You see,
• 21:06
  there was people in this day and time,
• 21:08
  and I'm not going to go there in depth
• 21:09
  tonight, but I'm going to give you the
• 21:10
  application, and we'll be done. There
• 21:13
  was people in this day and time that
• 21:14
  were called Gnostics. And these Gnostics
• 21:17
  believed doctrines that undermined the
• 21:19
  deity of God the Father. They said that
• 21:22
  Jesus Christ, you have to separate his
• 21:25
  humanity from his deity.
• 21:28
  That God the Father had no involvement
• 21:30
  with Jesus. And that's the worst part.
• 21:33
  It just gets it just gets better from
• 21:35
  there the more you listen to them. Their
• 21:37
  their ideologies. They're undermining
• 21:40
  everything that Christ is. You see what
• 21:42
  we're living with in this day and time?
• 21:43
  We're living with what the Catholics
• 21:45
  think about Jesus,
• 21:46
  >> right?
• 21:47
  >> That Mary's above him. We're living with
• 21:49
  what the Mormons think about Jesus.
• 21:52
  >> That there's many different Christ. And
• 21:54
  Joseph Smith had something to do with
• 21:56
  salvation. What I'm saying is we're
• 21:58
  living in a world today that's
• 22:00
  completely confused.
• 22:02
  >> And somebody's got to stand up and SAY
• 22:05
  IT'S WRONG.
• 22:07
  >> THAT AIN'T RIGHT. SALVATION is by GRACE
• 22:10
  ALONE THROUGH FAITH ALONE IN CHRIST
• 22:12
  ALONE. AND THAT'S IT. AMEN. CALVARY WAS
• 22:16
  THE PAYMENT FOR SIN AND THAT'S IT. IF
• 22:19
  YOU'RE HERE AND YOU'RE LOST TONIGHT,
• 22:21
  Jesus saves. JESUS ALONE SAVES. THERE IS
• 22:25
  NONE OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN GIVEN AMONG
• 22:27
  MEN WHEREBY YOU MUST BE SAVED. I'M
• 22:30
  SAYING I'M GOING TO EARNESTLY I'M GOING
• 22:32
  TO EARNESTLY FROM MY HEART IN VIGOROUSLY
• 22:36
  CONTEND FOR THIS FAITH BECAUSE GOD GAVE
• 22:39
  IT TO PAUL. AND YOU KNOW WHAT? PAUL GAVE
• 22:41
  IT TO TIMOTHY AND TIMOTHY PREACHED IT TO
• 22:44
  THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS AND THE CHURCH AT
• 22:46
  EPHESUS PREACHED IT THERE IN THE LAND
• 22:49
  AND DOWN TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY. SOMEBODY
• 22:51
  PREACHED TO YOU AND SOMEBODY PREACHED TO
• 22:54
  ME AND TONIGHT IF WE DON'T EARNESTLY
• 22:56
  CONTEND FOR IT, WE'LL HAVE NOTHING LEFT
• 22:59
  10 YEARS FROM NOW.
• 23:02
  >> I'm telling you tonight, JUDE'S APPEAL
• 23:04
  WAS THIS. The demand IS TOO GREAT. THE
• 23:07
  DISTRESS IS TOO BAD. DOCTRINE IS AT AN
• 23:10
  ALL-TIME high of being ruined in this
• 23:12
  country.
• 23:17
  >> Look what he says
• 23:19
  >> and exhort you that you should earnestly
• 23:21
  contend for the faith. We're not backing
• 23:24
  up on the Bible.
• 23:27
  This is God's word.
• 23:29
  >> Amen.
• 23:30
  >> God preserved it. God inspired it. God
• 23:33
  preserved it for you and I tonight. And
• 23:36
  this is his word. It's the King James
• 23:38
  Bible. And it ain't because the king
• 23:40
  authorized it. It's because God inspired
• 23:42
  it. Somebody say, "Amen." This is God's
• 23:45
  word. And we still believe that
• 23:47
  salvation is through and by THE BLOOD OF
• 23:49
  JESUS CHRIST. THAT WITHOUT the shedding
• 23:51
  of blood, there's no remission of sins.
• 23:54
  THAT IT WITHOUT JESUS BEING PERFECT,
• 23:56
  BEING VIRGIN BORN, LET ME SAY THAT.
• 23:58
  AMEN. BEING VIRGIN BORN AND LIVING A
• 24:01
  SINLESS LIFE AND BEING A PERFECT MAN AND
• 24:04
  DYING A SINNER'S DEATH THAT HE DID NOT
• 24:06
  DESERVE TO DIE. AND ON THE CROSS BEING
• 24:09
  THERE, HANGING THERE IN NAKEDNESS FOR
• 24:11
  YOURS AND MY SIN. AND ON THAT THIRD DAY,
• 24:14
  HE GOT UP AGAIN AFTER THEY BURIED HIM IN
• 24:16
  THE TOMB. AND HE ROSE AGAIN. LIVED ON
• 24:19
  THIS EARTH FOR 40 MORE DAYS AND WENT
• 24:22
  BACK TO HEAVEN AGAIN. AND HE'S THERE
• 24:24
  EVER LIVING TO MAKE INTERCESSION FOR YOU
• 24:26
  AND I. OH, SOMEBODY HELP ME PREACH
• 24:29
  TONIGHT. WE BELIEVE IT. AMEN.
• 24:32
  >> It's the doctrine of salvation.
• 24:35
  It's who Jesus is.
• 24:38
  >> We believe the doctrine of the
• 24:40
  scriptures. We believe the doctrine of
• 24:41
  salvation.
• 24:44
  Oh friend.
• 24:46
  >> We believe the doctrine of the church.
• 24:49
  >> That God set apart the local assembly.
• 24:53
  >> He said, "Forsake not the assembling of
• 24:55
  yourselves together."
• 24:56
  >> Amen.
• 24:56
  >> As the manner of some is, but exhorting
• 24:59
  one another, and so much the more as you
• 25:01
  see the day approaching. Jude said, "We
• 25:04
  to we are to exhort you that you should
• 25:06
  earnestly contend."
• 25:08
  You say, "Preacher, what's your emphasis
• 25:10
  tonight?" I'm saying we ought to be in a
• 25:12
  serious fight for the scriptures and for
• 25:13
  our faith. You're
• 25:14
  >> right.
• 25:15
  >> It ought to mean more to us than what we
• 25:18
  eat.
• 25:19
  >> You're right.
• 25:20
  >> Come on.
• 25:21
  >> The prophet said it this way. He said,
• 25:22
  "I've esteemed thy words more than my
• 25:24
  necessary food." When's the last time
• 25:26
  the Bible was more important to you than
• 25:28
  what you ate?
• 25:33
  doctrines at stake. You see, the
• 25:35
  division and the digression of the
• 25:38
  church along with the departure of many
• 25:41
  from the church led to this letter.
• 25:43
  >> Yes.
• 25:44
  >> Jude said, "Hey, I wanted to write to
• 25:46
  you and rejoice about salvation."
• 25:48
  >> Amen.
• 25:48
  >> You know, I'd love to preach glory,
• 25:50
  hallelujah.
• 25:51
  >> Let's get let's let's let's go to heaven
• 25:53
  and be saved and live the Christian life
• 25:55
  and be hunky dory and happy. I'd love
• 25:58
  that. But if somebody doesn't contend
• 26:01
  for it,
• 26:03
  >> where's it going to be
• 26:05
  >> when we're gone?
• 26:06
  >> Right.
• 26:07
  >> Let me ask you this tonight.
• 26:12
  If in your life you were the only one in
• 26:15
  your world that contended for the faith,
• 26:17
  would there be anything left?
• 26:20
  >> It's good.
• 26:21
  >> Jude says this in verse number three. He
• 26:24
  says that you should earnestly contend
• 26:25
  for the faith which was once delivered
• 26:27
  unto the saints. You know that
• 26:29
  statement's really big, brother Matt.
• 26:32
  >> What did he say? He said it was once
• 26:33
  delivered.
• 26:35
  >> Paul said it this way. He said, "I
• 26:36
  delivered unto you first of all that
• 26:38
  which I also received
• 26:40
  >> one time."
• 26:41
  >> Right.
• 26:42
  >> You're right.
• 26:43
  >> Christ appeared to him on the Damascus
• 26:45
  road
• 26:46
  >> one time.
• 26:47
  >> You're right.
• 26:48
  >> He received the gospel one time.
• 26:52
  >> Here's the thing about it in our life.
• 26:53
  We receive it one time. And you know
• 26:55
  what we're supposed to do out of that?
• 26:56
  Spend a lifetime defending it,
• 26:59
  >> proclaiming it,
• 27:01
  >> and living it,
• 27:08
  >> I tell you.
• 27:11
  You want to know why he helped me so
• 27:13
  much tonight? Is because he did what
• 27:16
  that text just says.
• 27:17
  >> You're right.
• 27:19
  >> He came and defended
• 27:20
  >> Yep.
• 27:21
  >> the gospel that we believe.
• 27:24
  >> Let me ask you, you going to do that?
• 27:26
  >> Good. Every head bowed and every eye
• 27:28
  closed tonight.
• 27:33
  This altar's open. Let me ask you
• 27:34
  something.
• 27:38
  You say, "Preacher, is that really all
• 27:40
  you had to say?" That's all God wanted
• 27:41
  me to say.
• 27:45
  Truth is tonight, if you're here in this
• 27:46
  place and you're not saved,
• 27:51
  I've got a burden for you.
• 27:55
  You don't have to die lost.
• 28:03
  You can be saved tonight.
• 28:07
  But I tell you this, children, children
• 28:10
  of God, church, if there's ever a day we
• 28:13
  need to be,
• 28:16
  as Dr. Larry Brown said, it locked and
• 28:18
  loaded,
• 28:21
  it's in this day.
• 28:25
  Let me ask you, will you take the gospel
• 28:26
  seriously?
• 28:35
  Cuz there's plenty of stuff out there
• 28:36
  that'll take it from you if you ain't
• 28:38
  willing to fight for it.
• 28:43
  That word contend means to suffer for
• 28:46
  it.
• 28:49
  I dare say the gospel has not really
• 28:51
  costed much of us anything in this room.
• 28:55
  How much are you willing to pay?
• 28:59
  I don't know about you, but I'm going to
• 29:00
  find myself in a place in this altar to
• 29:02
  pray tonight. You do business with God.
• 29:05
  >> Thank you for joining our service today.
• 29:08
  We'd love it if you'd join us in person
• 29:10
  the next time you are able at Meadows
• 29:12
  Baptist Church. Our physical address is
• 29:15
  2988 Stewart Road in Walnut Cove, North
• 29:19
  Carolina. Our service times are Sunday
• 29:22
  school at 10:00 a.m., Sunday morning
• 29:24
  worship at 11:00 a.m., Sunday evening
• 29:27
  worship at 6:00 p.m., and Wednesday
• 29:29
  evening Bible study at 7:00 p.m. For
• 29:32
  more information, visit us at
• 29:34
  meadowsbaptisturch.com.
• 29:36
  Thanks again for tuning in.